Sean Spicer claims that Houthi rebel assault on Saudi frigate was an Iranian attack on a US warship

[IronLionZion]

http://boingboing.net/2017/02/02/sean-spicer-claims-that-houthi.html

Houthi rebels from Yemen attacked a Saudi frigate; White House spokesman Sean Spicer falsely claimed that this was Iranian forces attacking a US Naval ship and thus an act of war; no one from the White House press corps corrected him or followed up.

The White House Press corps wanted to know what being put “on notice” entailed, and Spicer responded by claiming that Iran’s government took actions against a U.S. naval vessel, which would be an act of war. “I think General Flynn was really clear yesterday that Iran has violated the Joint Resolution that Iran’s additional hostile actions that it took against our navy vessel are ones that we are very clear are not going to sit by and take,” he said.

Pentagon Spokesman Christopher Sherwood confirmed to The Intercept that the attack was in fact conducted against a Saudi warship, and that the Pentagon suspects Houthi rebels. “It was a Saudi ship – it was actually a frigate” said Sherwood. “It was [conducted by] suspected Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen.”

Safe to assume that everything they put out are alternative facts? Not sure if there has been any truth from them yet.

"no one from the White House press corps corrected him or followed up." which is exactly why they needed to purge the white house press corps and pack it with their insane supporters.

Video at the link

More links:
Press Secretary Sean Spicer Falsely Accuses Iran of Attacking U.S. Navy Vessel, an Act of War
https://theintercept.com/2017/02/02/press-secretary-sean-spicer-falsely-accuses-iran-of-attacking-u-s-navy-vessel-an-act-of-war/

Trump administration 'officially putting Iran on notice', says Michael Flynn
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/01/iran-trump-michael-flynn-on-notice

Do you think the American people have learned from past mistakes?

[triron]

1. fabrication for war

[triron]

2. Hope China will back Iran

[world wide wally]

16. I don't know if Putin will approve of Trump provoking Iran.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Gulf of Tomkin redux?

And something to divert from the fact that Trump ordered an ill-advised, if at all, raid, killing a serviceman and civilians.

[Docreed2003]

4. Gulf of Tonkin or "Remember the Maine" for the modern era

[Angry Dragon]

5. Are you sure this is not the Onion??

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Spicer's Twitter Page: 1.45 m followers. 4 likes.

https://twitter.com/PressSec

and he is only following 6 people!

[gordianot]

7. Remember the Maine it was a coal fire, Gulf of Tonkin not an attack.

Wait for the South China Sea.

[GusBob]

8. They want a war badly

They have to cover up for the botched Yemen attack

[malaise]

9. Sean Spicer said Groper Don the Con had the biggest inauguration crowd

PERIOD - you still believe that sicko?

[dembotoz]

10. would like to think that after colin powell and wmd and iraq the american public would not be as

easily fooled

but alas prob wrong...trump did get elected

[jmg257]

11. Wow - yesterday its a Saudi Frigate and today it's "our naval vessel" - just wacky.

The U.S. has put Iran “on notice” for carrying out a medium-range ballistic missile test and attacks by proxy forces on a Saudi frigate, White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn said Wednesday, a cryptic comment that appeared to signal the Trump administration is taking a tougher stance on Iran than its predecessor.
...
Separately, Houthi rebels launched a suicide boat attack Monday against a Saudi Arabian military frigate as it transited off Yemen’s western coast in the Red Sea, killing two crew members and wounding three others.

The Houthis, a Shiite Muslim group backed by Iranian money and weapons, have been locked in a war with a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen since 2015 when they forced the country’s U.S.-backed president into exile and quickly swept across the Arab world's poorest nation.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. At the end of the clip, several do correct him partially - "Saudi vessel"

One reporter at the front says "they thought it was an American, but it was Saudi". Spicer agrees.

Spicer is obviously still either too incompetent to be able to do his job, or tried to get away with the lie.

The claim that "they thought it was American" seems to have been put out on Fox News a couple of days ago: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/31/exclusive-pentagon-believes-attack-on-saudi-frigate-meant-for-us-warship.html

which looks like a complete guess with no evidence, to me. All they have is someone saying "allahu akbar (God is great), death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews and victory for Islam." But they clearly can't think it's an American ship and an Israeli one, so it's just a general "al Qaeda, fuck yeah" shout.

It's worrying that "they thought it was American" seems to have been accepted by the press without question. That's still a way to find excuses for a war. And they know it was Houthis, but still take it as Iran wanting it; while Iran is allied with the Houthis, it doesn't have complete control, just as the USA doesn't have complete control over the Saudis' actions in Yemen. If they did, then the USA would be responsible for the attacks on civilian targets the Saudis have carried out.

[world wide wally]

13. Impeach the asshole BEFORE he starts the fucking war!

[annabanana]

14. I would LIKE to think he was just being sloppy and stupid..

but I fear "evil" is leading by a nose.

[IronLionZion]

17. Or all of the above

[workinclasszero]

15. Ginning up for war

I give it two weeks or so, Trump and Bannon need to shed blood, their buddies in the MIC must be chomping at the bit.

Also see, Gulf of Tonkin incident: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident

I pity all the folks with loved ones in Emperor Trump's military.

[ananda]

18. The problem is that ..

.. those Houthis are backed by Iranian money.

Since Trump took office, Iran and Yemeni rebels
are really feeling their oats.

Trump and Bannon are loving this because they can
use it as an excuse to act tough and warlike and
make Obama look weak according to their warmongering
demented lights.

[jmg257]

19. Ah - so he corrects himself with the help of a reporter just after he says "our navy vessel".